Foreign direct investment (FDI) rules in agriculture may be relaxed, albeit only in non-farm wasteland and degraded lands. The Union ministry of agriculture and the department of land resources under the ministry of rural development have given "in principle approval" to a proposal of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) to invite FDI for developing non-arable land through better technology into fertile and cultivable land. Currently FDI in agriculture is...

Between the Reserve Bank of India, the Union finance ministry and the army of economic advisors that surround Prime Minister Manmohan Singh no one seems to have a clue about how to get a grip over food inflation. Not only has the recent episode of high food prices seen surprisingly sharp spikes in the prices of vegetables and fruit but it has lasted longer than any other episode of inflation...

It is unbelievable but true! More than 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations. One child dies of hunger-related causes every five seconds, taking a toll on 16,000 poor hungry children each day. More than 1.4 billion people live at poverty line or below. According to a the World Bank report, there are over 1,345 million poor people in developing countries who...

Mamit district, known as the rice-bowl of Mizoram, has its eyes set on oil palm to provide a new crop to its farmers and at the same time contribute to the state’s agro-based economy. While the state agriculture department introduced oil palm cultivation in 2001, Mamit rather woke up a little late. But since 2007, nearly 4,500 farmers in 45 villages in the district have taken up oil palm cultivation. “We introduced...

The countrywide share of corporate retail in food distribution tripled in the past four years when retail food prices showed the greatest increase. THE dramatic increase in food inflation over the past two years has been associated with several surprises. One major surprise has been how the top economic policymakers in the country have responded to it. The initial response was one of apparent disbelief, followed very quickly by the...